Nine people are dying every week waiting for a transplant that never comes, while a record 8,700 people are now desperately waiting for an operation, as the issue gets worse
Speak up, save lives
Britain is facing an organ donation crisis. Nine people are dying every week waiting for a transplant that never comes, while a record 8,700 people are now desperately waiting for an operation, as the issue gets worse. The NHS has been forced to launch its first urgent organ donation response plan as donor numbers fall and fewer bereaved families give consent. That should alarm us all. The Mirror knows how much is at stake. We campaigned proudly for Max and Keira’s Law after nine-year-old Keira Ball saved the life of Max Johnson by donating her heart. That law gave hope to thousands and helped keep organ donation going through the darkest days of the pandemic. We cannot allow that progress to slip backwards now. Every lost opportunity to donate can mean another desperately ill patient waiting longer, another family hoping for a phone call that may never come. So the NHS response should be viewed as a call to arms. Join the organ donor register. Tell your loved ones what you want. Have that conversation today. Keira gave Max the gift of life. Now we must act with the same courage and generosity.
Ed’s despair
Ed Sheeran looked shaken by a controversy that made him question whether he wanted to remain an artist. The row began when Macklemore was dropped from his tour after pro-Palestinian remarks, after objections from billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft. Sheeran’s words in Philadelphia told the bigger story. He spoke of feeling abandoned by friends and family, apologised for mistakes and wondered whether the tour should continue. After years of avoiding politics, he could no longer stay silent. Sheeran condemned the horror of October 7, but also spoke of civilians devastated by Israel’s campaign in Gaza, calling it disproportionate. That should not be dangerous to say. No performer should be cowed into silence, and no billionaire should decide which opinions are uncomfortable to hear.
Viking diet
Erling Haaland has achieved something as unlikely as a defender stopping him: making carrots irresistible. The Man City goal machine has somehow persuaded kids that raw veg is a treat, with “Haaland candy” sending sales soaring. At this rate, even sprouts could be in line for a shock Christmas transfer.